


Camp Miraculous

by scourgethehigher



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Summer Romance, Video Game Nerds, awkward teenagers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-09 20:56:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8911657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scourgethehigher/pseuds/scourgethehigher
Summary: Marinette is a counselor for a summer camp her parents work at, but when she finally meets ChatNoir707 (a boy she met through an online rpg), how will her summer turn out?Y'all, honestly, this is just a cute fic about awkward babies and nerds





	1. Chapter 1

Gentle trees swayed in the breeze, the soft, orange sun fell against the pink of the sky. The heat was leaving as the sun was setting and the adults were making their way back into their cabins. The summer had only begun, but it felt like the days were stretching out longer and longer. Which, in a literal sense, was true, Marinette figured, but she couldn’t wrap her head around how she could feel so much dread. Usually she felt so excited for summer camp. The promise of a new summer vacation full of possibilities and fun was always so satisfying for her, but this year felt different. Part of her wondered if it was the fact that she would have to deal with Chloe again that was making her so annoyed, but she was used to dealing with that spoiled blonde brat every year anyways. It could have also been that she would be serving more as a camp counselor than a camper this year, but that wouldn’t work either because she had been dreaming of being a camp counselor since she started going to this summer camp. She shook her head and sighed, resting it on the wood of the railing she was leaning against. She knew the real reason. 

For a year now, she had been writing an online pen pal in France. She didn’t know much about him other than he had been homeschooled most of his life and his father was very strict. She had been trying to persuade him to come to her summer camp since she started talking to him last summer. He had always been excited for the idea, but unsure if his father would approve. Somehow he found a way to make it work, and she would be meeting him for the first time tomorrow. To say the least, being anxious about meeting him was an understatement. She was a very different person online than in real life, and was worried that she wouldn’t be able to live up to her online persona. She was a lot more clumsy in person than a game could convey. They had met on an online gaming website and became fast friends. His username was ChatNoir707, which she thought was kind of funny since he did have sort of a catty personality. She didn’t know his real name but, she supposed, that would all change soon enough. 

“Marinette! Could you come help us, we are trying to prepare the lunches for tomorrow,” her mother called to her from inside the dining hall. Marinette smiled and sighed softly, nodding her head even though her mother couldn’t see it, and headed inside, happy to see her small mother working beside her huge father. She still didn’t quite understand how they had paired up, but she really loved them both. 

“Hey mom, what can I do for you?” she asked, donning an apron hanging on the wall beside her and moving up beside her mother. Sabine gave her daughter a grateful smile and handed her a box of plastic sandwich bags as well as a plate of sandwiches. 

“Could you put the sandwiches in the bags and then stuff those into the brown paper bags?” she asked, getting back to work on making the sandwiches. Marinette nodded and began her work, smiling and sighing. “Are you excited for tomorrow, Marinette?” Sabine asked, tilting her head to glance over at her daughter. Marinette laughed nervously and sighed. 

“Yes… but I’m a little nervous. I have a lot more responsibility this year, you know,” she answered, not wanting to fess up about her online friend being the reason she was worried. She bit her lip and shoved the sandwiches in faster. 

“Mmmm, yes, you do have a lot more that you have to focus on. Like your foreign friend from that game you love. How is he doing? He is coming this year, isn’t he?” her mom asked, always able to hit the nail right on the head. Marinette flushed and tore a paper bag, looking down at the wooden floor bashfully. 

“That! Ah… Well, he is doing great! He told me that he should be able to come this year. I’m a little worried that uh…” she paused for a moment, trying to regain her thought process. “That he won’t be able to fit in very well since he is from France and all. He seems to know English pretty well, but I don’t know how well he can speak it,” she rambled, somehow able to find a decent excuse. Her mom nodded, deciding to buy her story, even if it wasn’t very solid. 

“English is a difficult language to learn, but I’m sure that he will be able to make it. Besides, he will have you to help him, should he need any help,” Sabine answered, giving her daughter a knowing smile. 

“Moooom… It’s not like that… but yes, I hope I’ll be able to help him,” Marinette mumbled, red creeping up on her cheeks. Her mother didn’t press the subject any further, deciding that she had embarrassed her daughter enough for one day, and finished their preparations in silence. As night settled in and the crickets began their songs, the family huddled together over a fire. 

“Alright, Dupain-Chengs, tomorrow is a busy day for us. We have a whole new batch of campers coming in, but a whole lot more veterans coming in. This year has to be better than any they have had in the past, so we have to make sure that we do our best,” her dad announced, smiling at his family happily as he roasted his marshmallow. The family nodded their heads in agreement and after sharing s’mores, called it a night. As Marinette looked up at the ceiling of her cabin with the other counselors, she wondered how ChatNoir707 was going to do tomorrow... and how she would do around him. 

 

* * *

 

“You have everything you need, correct?” Nathalie inquired, over the phone. The blonde model smiled at the secretary’s words and rolled his eyes. 

“I hope so, since you guys had a professional camper do all of the packing. Thanks again, Nathalie, but I can handle this,” he assured her as he pulled into the airport terminal. Gorilla stood beside him, pushing the dolly with all of his luggage. 

“I’m sure. Call me as soon as you get there, your father will be waiting for my update,” she instructed him once again. As much as he was bothered by it, he knew that she couldn’t help it. She had to do whatever his father asked of her, and it happened to include babysitting him. 

“You bet, Nathalie. Thank you for calling,” he told her politely before hanging up. His gaze shifted up to the airport terminal and a grin snuck its way onto his features. He was really about to do this… he was really about to go to America and attend a summer camp! His father hadn’t ever let him do something so independent before, and it had taken quite a lot of begging, pleading, and bargaining, but in the end, he managed to get his dad to agree to it. Of course, Gorilla had to be at the camp too, but he figured Gorilla would just watch silently from afar. 

There were other reasons why he was so excited to go to America, namely being able to meet Ladybug. She was a friend he met online at one of his gaming sites and they had instantly clicked. They were a pretty dynamic duo online and always teamed up on missions. It was so much fun for him to be able to have a friend like her, even if it had really only been online. She was so cool and fun and he was just so head-over-heels for her. He knew that he probably shouldn’t have a crush on someone he hadn’t even met yet, but Ladybug was so awesome, he couldn’t really help himself. 

He had a few reservations about going to this summer camp. He knew that it was a highly rated camp with lots of activities and amenities, but he was worried about being able to fit in with all of the other kids. The camp was known for its international audience, having begun the branching out a few years ago when they began a multi-cultural program, but he still wasn’t sure if he would be able to make friends with anyone. He knew Ladybug and his old childhood friend Chloe would be there, but he was still a little worried. He didn’t actually know what Ladybug looked like, and as far as he knew, she didn’t know either. He imagined what she looked like sometimes, and wondered if the images would match up. 

He hurried through security and baggage check and sat in the boarding area, surprised when the line to board was already moving. Adrien handed the man his pass and boarded the plane, looking out the windows of the plane as he took his seat in first class. The day was so warm and inviting in Paris that day and he inwardly sighed at the idea of all the times he had to waste the day modelling instead of being outside playing with school friends. Then again, he didn’t actually have any school friends since he didn’t actually go to school. Gorilla sat down beside him and grunted quietly, handing Adrien a headrest. The young blonde took it politely and placed it in his lap, opting out of sleeping yet. The ride would be a long one, and he knew all about pacing himself with the few activities a person could do on a plane. 

What would Ladybug think of him? Would she know that he was a relatively famous model? Would she know anything about the Agreste family? What if she was expecting someone way different? He pondered on that last thought for a moment. The way he portrayed himself online and the way he carried himself in public was vastly different. He could be whatever he wanted online but in reality, he had an image to uphold, he couldn’t be dorky or socially inept… he had to be whatever his father wanted. Life could be a lot harder, he figured, but it was still hard to have to pretend to be something that he so obviously wasn’t. His gaze moved to his hands, to the ring that his mother had given him just before she left. 

_ “Adrien, mon petit… be the person you want to be, not what Gabriel wants you to be,” _ his mother had said to him, ruffling his blonde hair. He sighed, his shoulders slumping in response to the memory. Wise words from his mother but it was a lot easier said than done. His father had a… commanding presence about him, and it was hard enough to schedule a ten minute talk with him, let alone have a heart-to-heart with him. His father had grown a lot colder since his mother left. He still didn’t know where his mother went, but he hoped that she was doing what made her happy. 

He hadn’t even realized that his eyes had closed until he felt the turbulence of the plane shaking the passengers slightly. It was time for his transfer. His brows furrowed as he looked up at Gorilla, the bodyguard looking forward with open eyes but he looked as though he had just woken up as well. When the plane touched down, Adrien realized that he was finally in America, and that much closer to seeing Ladybug. His heart raced for a moment at the thought but he shook his head and tried to act like he was older than five. 

One more plane and he could meet her in person. 

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Marinette was woken to the sound of the camp’s horn blowing. She groaned, not wanting to be disturbed from the awesome dream she had been having. It was five in the morning and she knew that she needed to get a move on if they were going to be ready for when all the campers would get there. She dragged herself out of her bunkbed and stumbled over to the bathroom, sighing as she looked at her face in the mirror. There wasn’t a whole lot that she had to complain about with her face, but she still wondered if Chat would mind how she actually looked. He was always flirting with her online, which she really didn’t pay much mind to since most online gamer guys flirted with the girl gamers, but she still felt like she would be letting him down if she was different than he had pictured her. Then again, she had a picture of him in her head too, and she was sure that he wouldn’t look the same way she thought he did. 

Shaking out of her thoughts, she finished getting ready for the long day and joined her busy parents in the mess hall. They were already hard at work getting all the food set up for the day, but she knew that there was more to be done. She knew that she would have to help out the other counselors in getting stations set up and helping campers find their respective teams. Even though she would be the same age as most of the campers, she had been going to this camp since she was little and knew it better than anyone. 

“Marinette, can you come to the rec hall when you finish breakfast?” one of the other counselors called to her, poking her head in the kitchen with a smile. 

“Sure, I’ll be there soon. I’m just going to grab a muffin,” she answered with a wink, laughing lightly at her friend Alya. The girl smiled and rolled her eyes, shaking her head before leaving the kitchen. 

“Good morning, dear,” her mother called ot her, handing her the muffin she had been telling Aly about just seconds before. Marinette smiled and kissed her mother on the cheek. 

“Morning, mom. It’s gunna be really busy today, huh?” she asked, taking a bite from the muffin. Her mother nodded and continued preparing the food. 

“That’s how it seems. You aren’t too nervous, are you,” her mother teased with a knowing grin. Marinette rolled her eyes and waved her mother off as she ran out of the kitchen to the rec hall. 

Yes, she was very nervous, but moreso for him than for herself. The campers would not be a problem, she knew that they would make Adrien feel right at home. It was her fear that he wouldn’t like it here. The camp was very nice and well-run, but she wasn’t sure how camps were run in France and she was sure that he would be used to something different. Chloe had thrown a huge fit the first time she came and the only reason she kept coming was because of the cute lifeguard that the camp hired to watch over the lake. She shook her head at the memory. France was a very different place, but who knows, maybe he would be different than Chloe. She blinked, no, he would have to be different than Chloe to play video games. Also, her sanity demanded that he be different, because she didn’t think that she would be able to handle another Chloe. 

She joined the other counselors in the rec hall and listened to their instructions carefully. The camp leader was named Pat; she was a nice enough leader, but most of the talking went to her right-hand man Justin, who was loud enough for the both of them. He was an overly-happy person with too much energy for five in the morning. 

“Alrighty leaders! Are you all ready for the best year we are ever gunna have?!” he exclaimed, his wide smile plastered onto his face. “Of course you are! So, we have a lot of veterans coming in, and it’s our job, as always, to ensure that their experience here is better than the year previous. Now, we have some new blood coming in as well and we need to make sure that we give them a nice Camp Miraculous welcome to make them feel welcome!” he explained, running a hand through his hair with a laugh. “I know it goes without saying, but our international audience is growing and we need to be respectful of people’s cultures while inviting them to try some our customs as well. You all are going to do just great this year so join me in our Miraculous cheer!” Marinette grinned and hollered with the rest of them, hooting and whooping enthusiastically. She had to admit it, that was her favorite part of the meetings. 

“Now for business, we need for everyone to understand their teams. Marinette, team Ladybug. You all will be meeting in the Mess Hall. Alya, team Fox. You all will be meeting in the Rec Hall here. Don, team Turtle…” he went on, assigning everyone their teams. In total, there were six different teams; Ladybug, Fox, Bee, Cat, Peacock, Turtle, and Butterfly. Marinette always thought that the team names were weird, but that’s what they had always been, so she didn’t question it too much. The teams were dismissed and instructed to wait at the camp entrance for the incoming campers. 

Marinette grinned as she picked up her sign with a huge ladybug on it and moved to wait near the entrance. She held up her sign and waved it around at the bus that pulled up in front of all the counselors. Kids and teens flooded the entrance, moving to their respective groups, wearing their personalized team shirts. Her group quickly huddled around her, giving her hugs. 

“Mari! You’re a counselor now?” Daniella asked her, tilting her head and smiling up at her. Marinette patted the younger girl on the head and smiled back at her, nodding. 

“Better believe it! Isn’t it awesome?” she asked, laughing lightly. The group nodded their heads and waited with Marinette as she handed them all their backpacks with their itineraries and camp charms. “Okay guys, we have a whole new set of charms this year and you all already have one just for showing up! Your cabin number is on your backpack and you already know where that is. I have a friend I have to wait for, so I’ll join you all when I find them, kay?” she explained, looking down at them. They nodded and ran off to their cabin and Marinette turned her gaze back to the bus, looking around for who she imagined ChatNoir707 to look like. 

Adrien looked around the camp entrance, having arrived in a limo after everyone had already left. He sighed, it was typical that he would be the last person to get there. Gorilla moved behind him, carrying his suitcases, and pointed at the girl who sat on a stump with a large sign lying down on the ground beside her. He bit his lip, he would have to ask her for help. He approached her and put on his best smile. 

“Pardon me, uh, I think I missed the registry. Do you know where I can find it?” he asked politely, used to speaking English but still a little rusty. The girl jumped at the sound of his voice and fell off of the stump, scrambling around hurriedly and standing back up, offering her hand to him. 

“Haha, sorry about that! I’m Marinette, what’s your name? I can find your team on the roster,” she answered, her face a little flustered from her fall. He held back a laugh and ran a hand through his hair. 

“Adrien Agreste,” he answered, watching her face for her reaction. She didn’t seem to be phased by the name. Maybe she hadn’t heard of him. 

“Agreste? You know, there’s a clothing brand with that name,” she commented off-handedly, looking through her papers. He laughed nervously and nodded. 

“Yes, it’s very popular where I’m from,” he answered, looking down at the ground. If she had caught his hint, she didn’t seem to say anything because her response was a triumphant laugh. 

“Here we go! Adrien, you are on the Cat team. They are meeting in Cat Corner, just beside the Ladybug Bunks,” she instructed before looking up at him and pausing, her eyes going wide. 

“Ah! I left my Bugs!” she exclaimed, hurrying around and grabbing her sign. “C’mon, I’ll lead you there, kay?” she called to him as she started walking. He hurried to catch up with her and followed her lead. 

“So, what team are you on?” he asked, deciding to make some small talk. 

“Ladybug. I was waiting for a friend, but I guess I missed him,” she sighed, seeming a little down. He tilted his head and decided not to pry. He was looking for someone too, but he figured she was really busy. 

“I’m sorry, that really sucks. I hope you find him,” he told her, looking around and smiling at the themed buildings. 

“Yeah. So where are you from?” she asked, looking over her shoulder back at him. He ran a hand through his hair. 

“France,” he answered quietly, looking down at the ground. She paused, causing him to run into her. They shook their heads and blinked as they looked at one another. 

“Are you-”  
“Are you-”

“Do you play-”  
“Have you heard of-”  
They paused for a moment and looked at each other. 

“L-Ladybug?” he asked tentatively, tilting his head at her. She nodded her head with wide eyes. 

“ChatNoir707…?” she asked him, fiddling with her hands. He nodded and felt the smile creeping onto his face. 


	2. Chapter 2

“Wow! It’s really you!” he exclaimed, smiling wide. She nodded and smiled back at him, a small blush forming on her cheeks. He pulled her into a hug and laughed. “Sorry for being so late, my plane got in a little delayed,” he explained, pulling back and fixing his clothes. She looked up at him and shook her head, waving his apology off. 

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, I’m just glad that you were able to make it,” she assured him, looking him up and down and trying to figure out where she had seen him before. He was wearing a black t-shirt with the Cat team logo on it and a pair of light blue jeans that looked brand new. “It’s awesome that I finally get to meet you, how are you liking America?” she asked, turning to walk again. He followed after her and walked beside her small figure, looking around the camp. 

“It’s very different, but I’m enjoying it. Paris was looking very nice yesterday, so it’s nice to know that America isn’t much different,” he answered, laughing lightly. Marinette beamed at him and stopped in front of the Cat Corner, pointing at the doorway. 

“Well, if you need anything, let me know. My parents are the camp cooks, so if you have any requests, I can slip it to them,” she told him with a wink, placing a hand on her hip and extending the other to him. “Welcome to Camp Miraculous, Adrien. I’m so glad you were able to come,” she told him candidly. He looked down at the ground, his face turning red. 

“Th-thanks… I’m… happy to see you too- I mean, I’m happy to be here with you- with everyone! Ah…” he turned around and dashed up the stairs, thankfully not falling. Marinette’s own face was beet red and she coughed and laughed nervously, unable to look away. She was sure that she looked like a freak just sort of standing there, but nothing could help her move from the spot her feet held her in. 

“Good luck, Adrien!” she yelled to him, finally able to run away to the Ladybug Bunks. When she shoved open the door, her Buggies all crowded around her and tried to get her attention all at once. She looked around at each of them, trying to understand what was going on. They didn’t seem like they were in any sort of distress, but she could be wrong. “What’s up, Buggies?” she asked, tilting her head at them. They all answered at once, making it impossible to really understand what was trying to be said to her. “One at a time!” she laughed, shaking her head. They went quiet and Manon spoke up, being the closest one to Marinette. 

“We saw that boy you were walking with! Is that your friend?” she asked, beaming up at her. Marinette smiled and felt a small twinge of blush attack her cheeks. 

“Yep, that’s him. He’s from France,” she answered, patting Manon on the head. The little girl giggled and poked Marinette’s nose. 

“He’s cute. Do you like him?” the eight year old asked, looking back up at Marinette. The counselor’s eyes widened and the small blush that had been creeping on her cheeks blew out to engulf her face. 

“N-no-n-no! I just met him! Besides! He’s from France a-an-and-”  
“Marinette’s in love!!” Manon chanted, the other campers joining her in the chant. Marinette’s eyes widened and she looked outside, hoping that none of the other cabins could hear this. Soon enough, people started looking out their windows at her cabin, raising their eyebrows and wondering where she was. As quick as she could, she held up her hand and raised two fingers, the camp symbol to be silent. The room soon fell quiet and she looked around at her Buggies and turned around, opening the door. 

“We don’t have time for that right now. We need to head over to the rec hall for our opening activities. When we finish that, maybe we can talk more about my  _ friend _ ,” she tried to emphasize, unsure how to explain to kids that you can’t be in love with someone you just met. The kids filed out happily and made a beeline for the mess hall. The plan was for the individual teams to get to know each other and eventually join with their brother or sister team. Each team had it’s opposite team since boy and girl cabins had to be separated. Ladybug’s brother team was the Cat team, so they would all be meeting together after these opening activities. 

They huddled together in a tight circle, giggling as they pushed one of the girls around while singing. Whoever the girl bumped into last when the song stopped would have to introduce herself and be thrown into the center. Marinette knew the girls loved this game, so of course she saved it for last. The last girl had fallen into everyone and now they were all laying in big Buggie pile of laughs and giggles. Marinette smiled as she tried to help the girls up, but they just kept falling down, unable to stop laughing.

Suddenly the door swung open and in waltzed the Cat team. The leader grimaced at her and rolled his eyes, shaking his head. Marinette frowned in return and stuck out her tongue at him until her eyes landed on Adrien, who was looking around the room curiously. She wondered how he was doing. She sighed until she met Adrien’s gaze and watched as his expression turned from one of happy recognition to suppressing a laugh. Marinette tilted her head until she realized that her tongue was still out and she was sure her expression wasn’t helping her case. She pulled herself together and somehow managed to escape the huge pile of laughing little girls, moving to stand on her own feet and coming face to face with the other counselor. He looked down on her with mild disinterest. 

“Marinette, I see you’ve already managed to fall on your butt today,” he commented, rolling his eyes. Her face turned red at the comment and she held a finger to his chest. 

“Watch yourself this year, Felix. I’m not falling for your stupid tricks,” she whispered angrily, trying to not let the campers know about her feud with the counselor. 

“Right, of course. I’m sure that you will fall down all on your own. Now, can we please proceed to the activities?” he answered coolly, seeming unfazed by her threat. Marinette’s shoulders slumped and she frowned angrily before turning back to her Buggies. 

“Alright my little Buggies! As some of you know, our brother is the Cat team. They will be our partner in all of the Miraculous Games. The Ladybug and Cat team have been the winning pair for years, and it’s our job to make sure that we keep that commitment. This is Felix, he is the leader of the Cat team, and he will be our best friend during the course of your time with us. He is a very successful leader, so give him a big Buggie welcome!” Marinette introduced, smirking at Felix as her campers ran up to Felix and enveloped him in a hug. Felix looked about as uncomfortable as a person could look, but he merely stood still until the let go of him. He coughed as he smoothed out his clothes, grimacing for a moment before composing himself. 

“Yes, well, thank you for that. Now, kittens, the Ladybugs are our sister team and we will be competing alongside them throughout the games. This is Marinette, and it’s her first year as a camp counselor, so be kind to her. Don’t let her inexperience fool you, she is a formidable foe and has been a competitor in the Games for quite a while. Listen to her, and you might learn something you hadn’t thought of before,” he introduced, his face expressionless. She wondered if he was only saying these nice things because he had to or if he knew it was true and didn’t like it. Either way, she could help but feel pride swell up in her chest. She looked over at Adrien who was smiling at her. In a fit of confidence or possibly insanity, she winked back at him and grinned. “Like how effective falling on your face can be when evading a paintball,” Felix continued, popping a hole in Marinette’s inflated ego. She shot him a glare and looked back at Adrien who was trying not to laugh. “Don’t worry campers, we will succeed this year if we work together and do our best to destroy the other teams,” he finished, a pleased smirk on his face upon seeing the steam coming out of Marinette’s ears. 

“Destroy is a harsh word, Felix. More like defeat them,” she corrected him, looking at her campers with a smile even though she was ready to destroy Felix herself. The boy shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes. 

“I believe defeat is putting it loosely, Marinette,” he shot back, looking at his own campers with a knowing wink. “We are going to make them wish they had never tried to oppose us in the first place,” he grinned, holding up a fist. “Isn’t that right, Kittens?” The Cat team cheered, howling excitedly and pumping their own fists. Marinette frowned. She knew that the Cat team had always been more enthusiastic about the Miraculous Games, but it never failed to make Marinette a little annoyed at how cocky they could get. 

“Well, then we need to train to the best of our ability and put our money where our mouth is,” she reminded him, stepping beside him to smile at the Cat team. “Okay boys, join the girls in the circle and let’s get to know one another,” she instructed. The boys hollered and moved over to the girls, immediately pairing up and conversating. Marinette smiled at the sight when she heard a voice clear beside her. She turned her head to come face to face with Adrien, who stepped back at the proximity with a red face. 

“Hey, Marinette,” he greeted, waving his hand. Marinette smiled at his bashfulness and waved back at him. 

“Hey, Adrien. What do you think of the Cat team? Not so bad, huh?” she asked, turning her gaze back over to the campers who were all mingling together. Felix was trying to organize the chaos all on his own, but was having a little difficulty controlling the Ladybug campers. 

“Yeah! The Cat Corner is really cool, and I think Felix is a good leader, but he seems a little violent,” he laughed, placing a hand behind his head. Marinette laughed with him and nodded, putting a hand on her hip. 

“Yeah… Felix is something else. We don’t always see eye to eye, but he knows what he’s doing,” she admitted, trying to reassure Adrien. The boy looked down at his hands for a moment before looking back up at her. 

“So are we going to be able to work together a lot?” he asked quietly, a bit of red staining his cheeks. 

“Mhm, we’ll be doing a lot of training together, so we should be able to talk a lot,” she smiled back at him, impressed with herself at being able to speak without stuttering. His eyes got wide and he smiled, nodding his head. 

“I look forward to it!” he exclaimed, nodding his head. Marinette found her stomach falling to the floor as she looked at his cute face getting all excited. She had to break his gaze in order to respond. 

“M-m-me too!” she croaked, somehow managing to form a coherent sentence. He smiled back at her and waved her off, hearing Felix calling his name and sending a knowing glare his way. 

“See ya, Marinette,” he called to her as he hurried to join the rest of the group. Marinette merely stood there, unable to believe that that had happened. Maybe she was reading into it too much, but it seemed like Adrien was kind of flustered to talk to her? 

Then again, most gamers were a tad socially awkward and the boys were especially shy around girls. Besides, he had been homeschooled most of his life, he was probably just embarrassed that she was giving so much attention to him. She felt the blush on her cheek heat up, spreading across the rest of her face like a wildfire. What if she had been embarrassing him? She tried to shrug off the thought, knowing that melting into a puddle in the middle of the room would only give Felix more gunfire against her to make her look even worse. 

She wasn’t quite sure how the feud between her and Felix had begun. She knew that there were multiple cases where her clumsiness had nearly cost them the Games, but they always turned out the victor in the end, so surely it couldn’t be that. Inwardly, she shrugged, figuring that maybe they just didn’t get along. That was kind of how she was with Chloe. Yes, Chloe was a ridiculously spoiled brat who didn’t care about anyone but herself, but some people can handle that. Marinette, for all intents and purposes, was not one of those people. Regardless, she made her way over to the group and smiled as her buggies played Ninja with the other team. 

Thankfully, the teams had a diverse age range which encompassed from eight to seventeen. Adrien was definitely pushing it, having only recently turned 18 a couple months ago. When he turned in his application, he was still 17, so he was given a pass. She knew what it was like to be the oldest in the camp teams. For a while, only people 8-14 were coming in, and it was definitely awkward to be the only 16 year old, but eventually the crowd started catching up and she wasn’t alone. Adrien was still the tallest in the group of campers, being only an inch or so shorter than Felix. Marinette smirked at the sight. Served the pompous loser right to have his height threatened by a greenie. 

When they finished their activities, it was time for the opening ceremony, in which the winner of last year’s games would introduce themselves to the whole camp and explain the various events that they would be having this year. Of course, that duty went to her and Felix- something she was rolling her eyes inwardly at. She really couldn’t stand that guy. They led their groups to the center of camp where a big American flag was flying, as well as the Camp Miraculous flag. Waiting for them was Justin and Pat, already at the base of the flagpole, ushering everyone to gather around. 

“Okay campers! Welcome to Camp Miraculous! We are so happy to have you with us this year and we know you are going to have a great time! I’m sure your leaders have already introduced you to your team members, but if you don’t have the names down, don’t worry! You have the next two weeks to get to know each other before the Games. Now, I’m sure you all have heard a lot about the Games, but in case you haven’t, we have invited last year’s winners to come up and explain to you what the Games are and what events are going to be held this year. Please give a big Miraculous welcome to Marinette and Felix, leaders of the Ladybug and Cat team!” Justin announced, bowing as he left the mic stand open for them. The two leaders moved in sync, stepping up to the base of the flagpole to stand in front of the mic stand. Marinette took the mic first, knowing that Felix would be a little harsh if he had to explain the Games first. 

“Every year, Camp Miraculous holds a tournament in which each team competes with the other in a duel of skill and wit. Each brother and sister team will go up against the other teams as they work to win each event. At the end of each event, the scores are tallied up and whoever has the most points, wins. You will be judged based on Teamwork, Success, Creativity, and of course, Sportsmanship. While the victory is the deciding factor, you cannot fully win this competition if you are unable to cooperate with the other team campers,” she explained, stepping away to give the mic to Felix. 

“Yes. There are also other factors that can count against your team, should you fail to observe camp rules. There is to be no cheating, no unregulated fighting, no unregulated use of weapons, and no crying. These will be seen as a violation of sportsmanship and you will be punished according to the severity of the offense. This, however, does not mean that there will be loose consequences, so do not test these rules lightly,” he warned, his icy blue eyes piercing through the audience. The campers seemed to nod their heads in agreement at his explanation and looked over to Marinette to relieve them from their fear. She gave Felix a forced smile and took the mic from him, standing before the crowd once again. 

“The most important rule is to have fun, so make sure that you keep a cheery smile on your face and keep singing our camp tunes! Now, the first event this year will be the barrel ride. Each team will select a representative to stand on a barrel in the lake and balance on it. Whoever is able to stay on the longest, wins,” she explained with a smile.

“The second event will be Last Man Standing. After each team has selected its representative, each camper will be placed upon the inflatable platform and must use a special pole to knock the other person off. The last person remaining on the platform, wins.”

“The third event will be the Tug O’ War. Each team will split up into its brother and sister teams. They will be selected to go against a different team. Whoever wins in the first round will join their brother or sister team in competing against the winners from the other rounds. For example, the Cat team could go against the Turtle team and lose, but if the Ladybug team went against the Fox team and won, the Cat team would join up with the Ladybug team. Each Tog O’ War will go one at a time, so make sure that you win, or else your team may not have as many members as it needs,” Marinette explained, knowing that this activity was a little more difficult to understand unless they actually experienced it. Normal Tug O’ War wasn’t this weird, but they have three huge teams, which left it uneven and unfair, so they had to do somethings a little different. 

“The fourth event will be the Relay Race. Each team member will be given a specific place in the obstacle course that we have set up. Once one teammate reaches the next teammate, they will be able to progress to the next place where the next teammate will be waiting for them. This will continue until the last camper reaches the finish line. The exact obstacles for this race have been left unknown, so you must be prepared for anything,” Felix warned, sending a particularly intense glare at the Ladybug and Cat team. 

“The last event will be the Capture the Flag game. The only goal in this game is that you find the flag waiting at an undisclosed location and bring it back to your camp station, while not giving away your own flag. If your flag gets stolen and brought to another station, you will immediately be disqualified from the game. Do what you can to Capture the Flag while also maintaining your base, understand?” Marinette finished, giving the campers a smile. She listened as the crowd murmured amongst themselves, already devising plans and making alliances. A smirk found its way upon her lips at the memories of her own alliances. You had to give some to get some, but in the end, it was every camper for themselves, and there was a war to win and a game to play. 

“Do your best to bring home the win for your team, and your banner will be hung in the Mess Hall for everyone to see. You will also bring home the trophy for your team and be added to the Hall of Winners. Have fun, and we will see you at the Games!” Justin exclaimed as he stepped up to finish off the announcements. The campers all hollered and hooted as they left the flagpole, a new excitement buzzing around the camp. Oh yes, they would be so excited for the Games, they wouldn’t know what to do with themselves. That was always the best part. Marinette adjusted the bandana around her head as she moved with her team, heading back to the Bunks to start discussing battle plans. She felt someone bump into her and she whipped her head around to find Adrien, looking down at her with a small smile. The effect was immediate and she knew that she wouldn’t be able to say anything coherent. 

“You did a nice job up there, Marinette,” he complimented her, giving her a nod. She swallowed and looked down at the dirt beneath her feet. 

“Th-th-thank me to you- I mean-Thank you! Hah~ I-I’ve been here a while so I practically know everything about the Games- not that I’m conceited or anything! I just really like them- well, not anymore than a normal person should! I-I-” she stammered, her face already heating up. Adrien gave her a small laugh as he looked down at her with his bright green eyes. 

“You’re funny, Marinette,” he laughed, interrupting her rambling and shaking his head as he ran a hand through his hair. 

That was when she realized that he would most likely be the death of her. 

* * *

 

When she fell on her face in front of him, hitting the ground with a soft thud, that was when Adrien realized that she would be the death of him... and possibly herself if he didn’t keep a close eye on her. 


End file.
